Disclaimer:
Not mine! This is a translation of a Chinese ShizNat fic from yamibo. For author details, please refer to the bottom of this page. Thanks.
Summary:
ShizNat. Post MyHime with some surprises.
When Natsuki meets Shizuru
Chapter 14 - Undercurrents : Part 1
Authored by submerged
Translated by glowie
-x-x-x-x- Otome Universe -x-x-x-x-
The raven-haired beauty stood speechless, her left eye twitching uncontrollably at Shizuru's choice of clothing. Totally unprepared for the "price" she had to pay for folly, Natsuki had yet to decide whether she should be shedding beads of cold or hot sweat. The current temperature certainly didn't warrant the need for these "extreme measures".
"Do I really have to wear these?? Isn't there anything else that looks... more breathable?" Having made up her mind, cold beads of sweat were already forming on her forehead.
'Dang! I should have known better... all Shizurus are the same!' Reprimanding herself for the umpteenth time in the last 5 minutes, she yet again reminded herself to never ever make the mistake of giving too much power to the older woman.
"Ara!? Natsuki-chan doesn't like it? But we should take all precautions against the likelihood that she'll catch a cold!" The perpetrator remarked innocently.
"But... but..." Her already fair complexion paled visibly as her dejected eyes shift between the two choices offered to her. On her left, a the full-body space suit which came equipped with its very own fish bowl helmet and on her right, a very furry and hug-gable costume of a chubby panda. "You might as well have me wrapped from head to toe like an Egyptian mummy..." The rebel biker grumbled grudgingly. 'At least I would have been scary instead of a laughing stock...'
-- Refer to the bottom of article for Author's Insertion #1 --
"Why... that's a great idea!" Smiling happily, the Graceful Amethyst lifted her hands to show the younger woman what she had been hiding behind her back. Scrolls after scroll of bandages; more than enough to give Natsuki her desired look.
"Huh? D'oh!..." Palming her face in disbelief, Natsuki finally knew what it felt like to dig one's own grave.
The cornered puppy quickly geared her mind into overdrive in hopes of finding a way out of the devil's clutches. In the midst of the thought process, it suddenly struck her: all the offered choices had one thing in common. Apart from the fact that they were suffocating, they all hid her face.
"Shiz... Shizuru-oneesama, why do I need to hide my face? Is there such a need to go that far?"
"I don't want others to see..." The rest of her words were unclear, the crimson-eyed goddess obviously unwilling to disclose her reasons.
"Appearing before the public isn't something unusual for the Gakuenchou, no?" 'Or is Shizuru worried about the assassins?'
"Sigh... really, hasn't Natsuki-chan noticed?" A sudden seriousness took over her earlier troubled look as she proceeded to explain.
"Noticed what?" Suddenly tensed, the usually clueless truant paid full attention to the woman before her. 'Is there a scheme?'
"Natsuki-chan's expressions are just too cute, even I..." A red hue appeared on Shizuru's face causing her to look away shyly, but she soon regained her composure and went on to share her worries.
"You'll create an uproar if you just go out like that. I don't want Natsuki to be surrounded by fans."
After hearing the older woman's explanations, the incredulous woman stood wide-eyed, unable to voice her disbelief.
'Because of that you want me to wear those ..?!'
"But... but isn't Shizuru-oneesama always mobbed by her fans as well?" Sparks of anger started to bubble up from within the inquisitor as memories of her having to "free" her own Shizuru out of those very situations filled her mind. It always irked her to no end to see the unrepentant offender expertly weaving herself among her so-called fans.
Seeing the quiet acknowledgment from the older woman, stern emeralds looked begrudgingly at her stating their complaints at the double standards applied.
'If you two can do that, why can't we? Geez... all Shizurus are the same!'
"Ara! I was just playing with them! Natsuki-chan doesn't know how to handle their delicate feelings and could have easily misled them, it would be bad if you accidentally hurt them."
'Well... she does have a point. Matters of the heart aren't my forte...'
However, glancing once again at the dreaded choice of "clothings", her never-say-die attitude kicked in in full force. 'Over my dead body!'
"Shizuru-oneesama, don't worry. I promise I won't let them get near your Natsuki." Having total faith in her death glares, Natsuki thumped on her chest and proclaimed confidently.
-- Refer to the bottom of article for Author's Insertion #2 --
Seeing that the dark-blonde wasn't convinced, Natsuki tried to assure the older woman of her own conviction in this matter.
"Because my expressions are..." The words 'only meant for Shizuru' were held back in time. Wisely the usually brash girl decided its best that she doesn't play with fire lest she get burnt. The older woman's earlier admission that she had difficulty holding back only served to strengthen the decision.
"You were saying?" Words left unsaid tend to pique one's interest.
"Are... are..." Try as she might, she couldn't find a suitable excuse for the blanks. Laughing nervously, she rubbed her head sheepishly, all the while hoping the older woman had a sudden lapse of memory and forgot about the whole thing. Her hopes were dashed when she saw Shizuru looking intently at her, fully expecting to hear her reasons.
The stalemate was abruptly diffused by a knock at the door. While Shizuru went to answer the door, the raven-haired woman exhaled long and hard. Relieved, she gazed longingly towards the door, wanting to witness the full glamor of her savior.
Standing at the door is Ms. Maria with the Gakuencho's jacket. Upon closer inspection, the jacket looked slightly different from the usual; this one was much thicker and covered more skin. An exquisite belt was attached to the waist. Not only did it look imposing and neat, it looked very warm too.
Grateful tears of thankfulness were pooling within emotional emeralds at the image. Their owner immediately likened Ms. Maria to the famous saint. How else could it be that both her dilemma was solved so timely and perfectly?
Ms. Maria's already knotted brows seemed to scuttle closer at the weird outfits sitting beside Natsuki. "You may go out, but please do so in the proper attire and manner befitting of your status." At that, she left the room.
'How could she know that we're going out?'
"Ara! Ms. Maria is as efficient as ever. I just told her about it." Helping Natsuki with the new jacket, a satisfied smile settled on her fine features as she checked the fitting attire on Natsuki.
"It's perfect! I sent your measurements over to the tailor a few days ago. They really did a fine job."
"..." 'I should have known! Argh!'
While a defeated Natsuki was still mourning over the loss of the 'controlled and repressed' Shizuru, she failed to notice an already materialized Graceful Amethyst standing behind her. Before she knew what happened, she was already in the arms of the older woman; bridal-style if I might add and found herself literally being lifted into the clouds.
"Is Natsuki-chan okay?" Tightening her hold on the younger woman, a concerned Shizuru asked. She quickly cut down their speed lest the cold winds proved too much for the still-recovering Natsuki.
However, her concern was lost on its intended audience who was fully immersed in the breathtaking imagery before her.
"It's beautiful! Shizuru-oneesama, this is awesome!" she exclaimed excitedly like a child with a brand new toy.
Before long, they descended upon a small hill filled with wild white-colored lilies.
"I accidentally came upon this place once. It's beautiful isn't it?" the older woman explained.
"It certainly is!" Bright emerald orbs were already darting to and fro, hungrily taking in their surroundings with childlike glee.
Taking in huge breaths of fresh mountain air, a contended Natsuki seemed to have forgotten all the earlier "payments" she had to endure for insisting on this trip.
Seeing this; Shizuru smiled happily.
"You're the first person I've brought over here."
"Huh? What about 'Natsuki'?"
"I've always wanted to bring her here but she's always busy with work..." Her earlier cheer washed away without a trace.
"Oh... I'm sorry..."
"Ara, Natsuki-chan is so considerate. You needn't apologize. It's nobody's fault."
"You like 'Natsuki' very much, don't you, Shizuru?" For once, she chose to drop the 'onee-sama', and the younger woman finally found the courage to ask the question that had been bugging her since the beginning.
"Yes," she softly answered, her gaze lingering upon the horizon, far, far away.
"Does she..." unknowingly, Natsuki's gaze fell alongside Shizuru's and they both looked towards the far horizon.
"Perhaps to her, I'm but a reliable helper." Her voice was full of calm, one that can be so only because it held no hope. "Maybe a friend or even sister but never as a lover. To me..." Shizuru paused slightly while she tried to put her feelings into words. "To me... she's like the horizon, one that I could only gaze at from afar but would never able to touch."
A sudden breeze blew across the hill, hauling the fallen petals high up towards the skies in a wild and furious dance before letting them fall back helplessly to the depths of the earth in its absence.
Gently Natsuki held Shizuru. It pained her so to see Shizuru so alike hers once was, not that long ago, when she was still the dense Natsuki that had allowed her Shizuru to suffer the same fate.
"Shizuru, I want you to know that 'Natsukis' tend to be dense when it comes to matters of the heart. So... it could be that she has yet to sort out her feelings."
"But she readily agreed to my request to leave. Maybe I've never really mattered to her."
Her mind was in turmoil; both Shizurus had suffered because they were unwilling to "hurt" their Natsukis. Both decided that the best course of action was to leave; the only difference is that she had managed to give pursuit and kept hers from leaving whereas this Shizuru had stayed back because of the incident.
She could tell she was trembling as she fought to hold in her tears and she hated herself for not being able to find any comforting words that would soothe her pain.
'Once everything has settled over here, will she still choose to leave? To hide in a godforsaken corner of this world; licking her wounds alone like an abandoned animal?'
She couldn't accept it; she refused to accept that she was transported into this world just to see another Shizuru suffer because of someone like her.
A sudden realization hit her. 'Transported?! That's it'
Loosening the hold, she held them apart enough for her to look straight into Shizuru's eyes. "Shizuru, Youko-sensei once said that there must be something linking us, which is why the switch could take place."
Seeing the dark-blonde mildly nodding her head to reaffirm her logic she continued, "In both of our worlds, the link that is common between us is... our feelings for 'Shizuru'."
"I truly believe both she and I are alike in more ways than one. 'Natsukis' are always dense. It's only when 'Shizurus' help us see that we are able to realize our true feelings. This is why, I implore you, please have more faith and to give your Natsuki another chance. Once we have switched back, can you promise me you will have a good talk with her?"
Disbelief filled Shizuru's every feature. Hopeful yet afraid, tears that were held captive now freely flowed from their prison. A small smile eventually appeared on the older woman's face.
"Can I really believe that it's possible?"
"Yes! This is coming from someone exactly like her." Winking mischievously, Natsuki reassured her. Wiping away her tears, she added, "I like a smiling Shizuru better."
Her smile broadens at the tease, "Natsuki-chan, thank you."
"You're welcome!" Surprising herself that she could speak so much and so well, she concluded a possibility of the result of their combination: Kruger's body (brains) and Kuga's heart.
"By the way, does this mean Natsuki can also fly?" Back when she was still a Hime, she needed to rely on Duran to do that.
"Yes, this is one of our robes' abilities. It's activated through this GEM." Shizuru explained, pointing towards her own GEM in the process. "Through it, we can materialize and gain access to our robes' abilities."
"Ahh... however, Natsuki-chan shouldn't need to bother herself with the details. Youko-sensei says that you and the body have yet to achieve an acceptable synchronization rate. Until then, it's best that you don't try to materialize."
'If there's any danger, I'll protect you at all cost.' Shizuru told herself.
"It sure sounds complicated", remarked Natsuki.
'So it seems I'm able to materialize with this body as long as I have this GEM.' she concluded by herself while holding onto the GEM on her ear.
'Shizuru doesn't want to worry me, but I don't want to be a burden if trouble arises. So it's important that I find out how.'
"Shizuru-oneesama, can you tell me how to activate the robe?" Instinctively, she thought back to the time when she could summon Duran. All she needed to do back then was to call out for Duran.
"Ara! I never knew Natsuki-chan was such a curious child!" A glimmer of worry was evident on the Column's features at the younger woman's insistence.
"Of course I'm curious! I could never fly like this back home!"
"Fine then, as long as Natsuki-chan promises me she won't try it on her own, I'll tell her the magic word." After weighing the pros and cons, Shizuru decided it might do her well to have something to fall back on in life-threatening situations.
"Sure!" The younger woman agreed willingly.
"The magic word is 'Materialize'."
"Huh?!" 'Mater... what was it again?'
No longer able to maintain their penetrating beams, the sun was swiftly swallowed up by the rapidly darkening clouds. The billowing winds drew a tremble out of Natsuki and she sneezed.
"Natsuki-chan, it's time to go back." Not waiting for the younger woman's reply, the protective Column once again carried Natsuki in her arms before gingerly taking off towards the academy.
An unexplained uneasiness rose up from within Shizuru, like a stone being cast into a calm lake. The unwelcome sensation greatly disturbed her. Worriedly, she looked towards the younger woman who was still going through her earlier instructions with all seriousness. Her pensiveness reminded her very much of her own special person.
Another wave of cold hit the two and Natsuki found herself snuggling further into the embrace. "Shizuru-oneesama, can you bring me back here again?" A forlorn look decorated her somewhat tired face as she looked back towards the hill.
"Sure! We can come back tomorrow." Her earlier unrest greatly dispersed at the younger woman's action. But that didn't mean that Shizuru had let down her guard.
The wind grew fiercer and Shizuru found herself needing to slow down and reduce their altitude. The woman within her protective and warm embrace was already showing signs of dozing off, her head nodding unconsciously.
It wasn't long before they reached the Academy and Shizuru chose to land on a secluded spot outside the perimeter instead of within to avoid drawing unnecessary attention.
The earlier unease increased ten-fold as the weather swiftly deteriorated. Her sharp intuition that she had prided herself on warned her of an impending danger.
Even the sleepy woman felt the vibes and followed suit. Her senses were on full alert as they rushed back towards the Academy.
As they were passing through the training grounds, they were spotted by a few corals who were practicing within. At their excited cries, more were drawn and it wasn't long before Shizuru found herself surrounded by her fans.
'Why aren't I the least surprised?' Natsuki smiled knowingly.
'It ain't that bad, at least they aren't in swarms and they all seemed very well behaved.' The raven-haired beauty told herself.
Her uncharacteristic smile caught the attention of the crowd and many began to lose themselves in the foreign facet of the Gakuencho. Some were even emitting stars from their eyes and no doubt quite a number switched camp on the spot.
A part of the crowd started to make their way towards Natsuki but was all abruptly rooted in place. The reason? The imposing and cold gaze hadn't let their owner down. The new converts were nailed solidly on the spot, unable to inch closer.
Her intended death glares were meant to "disperse" the annoying fan-girls, but they quickly intensified and became much colder than usual at detecting a killing intent.
Realizing what she was doing was scaring the students and was definitely unbecoming of her status, Natsuki softened her gaze and said, "Excuse us, Shizuru and I have some urgent matters to attend to. That will be all for today!" Her low but imposing voice coupled with her no-nonsense features effectively sent the fan-girls back to their tasks.
"Ara! I'm impressed." Shizuru made her way to Natsuki once the crowd had dispersed. She too felt the earlier killing intent, minute as it was. Unfortunately, it was gone before she could pinpoint its source. One thing was sure however: the intended recipient of the deadly attention was Natsuki.
Wanting nothing other than to ensure Natsuki's safety, every inch of her adrenalin-filled body was screaming for her to quickly escort her charge into the Academy building.
"Cheh! This is nothing compared to what we have other there." Contrary to the light-hearted chatter meant to lighten the tension, the raven-haired beauty had all her senses on full alert as they made way for the main building.
Fate though had other plans it seems, as cries of the earlier-dispersed corals were heard throughout the vicinity.
"Slaves!" Just as Shizuru shouted out the warning, two hulking figures reared their ugly heads before them. Their cold mechanical eyes locked onto Natsuki and without warning they thrust their sharp bladed limbs towards her.
Hooking her right arm across Natsuki's waist, Shizuru jumped away from the attack and took them to the sky, putting as much distance between them as possible. The usually-fearsome warrior had no intention to engaging the enemies.
As if anticipating the retreat, a third, and much bigger slave towered over their path. It's intricate armor set it aside from the usual slaves. Not allowing the Column a chance at catching her breath, it swiped its blade-riddled arms at them.
Thanks to her fast reflexes, Shizuru managed to evade the attack in the nick of time and quickly doubled back before it could launch another attack.
Howling angrily towards the sky, the enraged slave activated its cannon located on its chest, readying it for its next attack.
Caught in between the three slaves, Shizuru's original plan was to take out the two smaller slaves before facing the big nasty, but seeing the cannon about to release its deadly payload, she changed her mind and did a sharp left instead. The sudden maneuver managed to pull them out of the path of the lethal beam. The two smaller slaves weren't as lucky and they were disintegrated on the spot. The aftermath of the attack left everything in its path in devastation, including the training grounds which now lay in ruins with only one third of its original mass.
Seeing the target of their attack still alive and well, the slave reared back its head, causing the earlier cannon to protrude further from its chest. A larger concentration of energy was drawn to it and cackles of purplish energy were charging up menacingly around its muzzle.
Worried that the force of the attack could very well destroy the whole of Garderobe even if they themselves could evade it, Shizuru knew very well that she needed to take out the slave before it could unleash its attack. Reluctantly, she placed Natsuki on the ground before rocketing herself towards the giant.
Summoning her weapon, she immediately released its blade-parts from their constraints, effectively extending their deadly reach. With a powerful swing, she managed to snake her weapon of choice around the slave before re-coiling their jaws of death with all of her might. The slave was decapitated before it knew what hit it.
Just as she was breathing a sigh of relief, three more slaves appeared beside Natsuki and another six cut off Shizuru's path towards her. Fearful crimson watched as the three simultaneously charged towards Natsuki. She tried to rush to her side but the tag-team of six did their task well by caging the Graceful Amethyst within their formation.
The three hulking slaves, eyes never leaving their raven-haired target, lunged at the her with claws extended, eager to deliver their killing blow.
"Duran!" Once again, Natsuki found herself calling out for her faithful companion.
- to be continued -
Author's omake
Owuu...
Owuu...
"..."
Director: Someone! Anyone! Throw out this trouble-maker that's spoiling the scene with unwanted voice-overs!
Author: Hey! what are you doing? I'm only trying to help since Duran is taking so long to respond. I'm sure everyone misses him. Hey! Waitaminute! I'm the author! Who and where did this 'Director' pop up from?
Crowd: ...
Author: Argh! Hey! not so rough! Eeek! Help!!
Notes:
First of all, I would like to thank Leebot for agreeing to be my beta. To express my thanks, I've decided to translate a ShizNat comic strip as a gift and to celebrate the occasion. :)
(I've posted it to my LJ account. Check out my profile for the link if you're interested)
glowie: cheers widly YAY! I get to keep my hair!
innerglowie: Well... I just hope Leebot doesn't suffer hair-loss in your stead. -sweat drop-
glowie: Hrmpph! What do you mean?! Leebot doesn't have my limitations!
innerglowie: I meant from resisting the urge to STRANGLE you because of the crap you're spewing.
glowie: Ohh... erm... goes in search for MORE ShizNat comic strips...
I have to say I'm surprised I manage to churn out this chapter so quickly. Of course, a HUGE part of the reason is due to Leebot's help. I hope I will be able to keep the momentum going for I really want to finish this by this year. LOL. Thanks again for those who have been giving their support and feedback. I greatly appreciate them. :)
To make sense of these insertions, please refer to their original location within the text above. The author originally placed these within the text body but I've moved them out here to avoid upsetting the flow. Feel free to give your feedback regarding this arrangement. Thanks.
-- Start of Author's Insertion #1 --
Readers: Why in the world would Shizuru, the Graceful Amethyst have those weird costumes?
Author: Oh that! Well, due to script requirements, I've take the liberty to lend out my personal collection to Shizuru-sama. :)
Natsuki: ...
Author: Oh No! Not again! Ahhh...
-- End of Author's Insertion #1 --
-- Start of Author's Insertion #2 --
Readers: What are you doing?
Author: Oh! Nothing... I'm just altering the setting so that the students of Garderobe react more passionately when subjected to cold glares. One must always be brave to face opposition don't you think so? Hahaha.
Readers: Ermm... Good luck!
Author: Huh? What? Oh no! Ahhh...
-- End of Author's Insertion #2 --
Remarks:
The author for this piece is submerged. She doesn't have an english nick and is ok with me directly translating her chinese nick. Since I've been spamming her link for the last 13 chapters... I'd figure I'll stop wasting electrons on it (or upping the word count unnecessarily). For those interested in the direct link for the original work, please refer to any of the previous chapters. Thanks! :)